However, we live in a day of doctrinal vagueness and
confusion, so we need to be clear about what we believe the Bible teaches.
Therefore, we are a confessional church, i.e., we have a written confession of
faith that clearly states what we believe the Scriptures teach. We fully
subscribe to the historic
Baptist Confession
of Faith of 1689. It is also referred to
as the 1689 Confession and the 2nd London Confession of Faith. We do not hold our Confession as equal to or above the
Scriptures but as an accurate expression of the system of doctrine taught in
the Scriptures. As such, it is a great help in our faith, both as assistance
in controversy and as an instrument of edification and instruction.
One particular doctrine we believe is that God is
absolutely sovereign over all things. "He does according to His will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His
hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Daniel 4:35).
We believe that He is also sovereign in the salvation of
men. The Bible teaches that man, because of sin, stands guilty and condemned
before God's Law; he has a corrupt heart and is alienated from God; and, worst
of all, he can do nothing to save himself from God's wrath or to reconcile him
with God. The good news of the Gospel is that God alone has undertaken to do
all that is necessary to deliver man from his awful condition. The Triune God
plans, accomplishes and applies redemption. Unconditional election upon man
flows out of the Sovereignty of God the Father. By His death on the
cross, the definite atonement of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, redeems God's
elect. The effectual call of the Holy Spirit enables sinners to come to Christ. Salvation,
from beginning to end, is "of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9), therefore God receives all
of the glory. Man receives none.